Dragon's Dance
by DarnedNoob
Summary: What would happen if one could change history? A young Warrior learns the consequences of messing up Time, and the price needed to reverse it. For Absol Master's Fanfiction Challenge, Dance of the Dragon.


I might very well ruin Absol Master's challenge, but I'm trying not to now. The 'trying not to' comes in the form of an attempt at writing which might very well ruin the challenge anyway. But I digress. Anyway, it's quite hard for me to come up with anything without action, so sorry if I ruined this.

Thanks Crappishh for introducing the challenge to me, anyways. And Absol Master for posing the challenge.

Do note that I've added elements of Prologue into this, so a few spoilers. Nothing much though.

Just a little something. The starting may seem irrelevant, but read till the end…

And yes the 'one about the pheonix and the element of fire' refers to Crappishh's oneshot.

* * *

"Dad," Hawk pleaded. "Could you please tell the story again? The one about the phoenix and the element of fire?"

"I'm afraid it'll have to wait." Dad replied. "I'm a little tired…"

"Please, Dad."

Dad appeared to think about it for a minute.

"Very well then. But it'll be a different story. This one is about the dragon and Father Time."

"The dragon? Father Time?" Hawk questioned. "I've never heard of that before…"

"So I'm telling it to you now." Dad smiled, ruffling Hawk's hair. "Interested, young man?"

"Yes Dad. Please."

Dad drew a deep breath, while sorting out the story's sequence of events in his mind.

"Very well then. Here goes…"

And so, Dad told the story of the dragon and Father Time. The gist of the story is as follows, without the interruptions of Hawk…

* * *

…Legend states that there was once nothing, except for space and Father Time, a great being. Father Time created eight powerful elementals, each of one element of the world, and let them create Bera, the world we currently live in.

While they created Bera and each of them controlled a factor of it, Father Time governed over the elementals. He also took the role of ensuring time ran smoothly, and that each and every one of the creatures the elementals had created stayed in their own time.

As time went by, Father Time grew lonely of running Bera alone, with only the elementals to report to him. He needed a true friend. And so, taking from the custom of Bera's inhabitants, he created a pet for himself. His was a pet Dragon.

The dragon egg soon hatched. The baby Dragon that was hatched out was a light blue in color. It had white wings, a blunt snout with what looked like tiny blue tusks drooping from its jaws.

After keeping the pet for many years, Father Time decided he wanted an equal as a friend, not one who obeyed orders. He then made the Dragon grow. In doing so, he made all other living things grow as time passed.

As the Dragon grew into an adult, it gained some control over time due to being with Father Time. As it grew stronger, the Dragon began to think rebellious thoughts. Finally, using what power he had, he attempted to overthrow Father Time as supreme ruler of Bera.

Although it pained him to do so, Father Time fought back against the Dragon, hoping for an alternative. Sadly, it was his world at stake; therefore he had to destroy the Dragon.

However, he did not know that the Dragon had the power to control time. The Dragon used this to dodge blows from Father Time, and vice versa. After three days and three nights, the fight was not completed. Finally, the Dragon was put down with the eight elementals' help.

The Dragon was imprisoned in El Nath's deepest dungeons. There, he lies beaten, chained to the ground with ropes of fire, ice, poison, lighting, earth and wind.

Soon, the eighth elemental, Darkness, decided that Father Time's rule was too lax. He wanted to rule Bera, and erase what he saw as sin in the world. And so, Darkness revolted against the other elementals. Unknown to the others, though, he had released the Dragon, and planned to use it against them.

As Darkness openly fought against Father Time, the Dragon ambushed the other elementals. Just as the elementals were about to kill the Dragon, Fire lashed at Ice, running off with the Dragon. It was soon discovered that Darkness had roped in Fire, Earth and Poison in the revolt. Ice died of the injuries inflicted by Fire, and fell on the lower portions of Ossyria, causing El Nath to snow for eternity.

Soon, Father Time managed to put Darkness down with some combat tactics he had developed from being able to control time. With Wind and Lighting's help, he captured Fire, Earth and Poison. He had the four errant elementals encased into a stone being, which he named Zakum.

After the incident, Wind and Lighting decided they could not stay on, and divided themselves into multiple spirits. Wind split into two, one side wanting to avenge Ice and another forgiving Fire. The former became the Dark Lord and the latter became Athena Pierce.

Lighting split himself into immeasurable pieces, the largest piece being Grendel the Really Old. The other pieces fell onto El Nath, where the static pulled some of the ice together to form spears. Today, if you find a real Fairfrozen, it's probably a piece of Lighting and Ice.

Father Time decided he could not rule Bera anymore, so he became a human and descended as a being known as Dances with Balrog. He left his gift of controlling time to work itself, and make sure he never interfered with it.

Light, who had stayed hidden throughout the war, felt guilty for never helping Father Time fight back the rebels. He volunteered to guard Zakum for eternity, making sure only the best of fighters can reach Zakum.

As for the Dragon, he was captured and placed behind a spell. The spell will break once a person kills Zakum without gaining a single hit from the stone giant. The person will then have to do a ritual, known as the Dragon's Dance. The Dragon will appear, and rumor has it that he can control time for you, only a small amount. The price is unknown, but many who enter do not leave.

* * *

"Cool!" Hawk exclaimed, as Dad came to the end of the story. "Is this real?"

"Who knows?" Dad smiled. "Maybe you can find out yourself one day. Keep training, son."

Hawk nodded.

As Hawk was about to sleep, a crash resounded through the entire house. Swarms of cloaked figures rushed in, throwing all sorts of projectiles, magical or material.

From Hawk's point of view, all he could see was a black sea of dangerous men, all attempting to wipe out everyone in the vicinity. He ran under a table, hoping no one would notice him.

However, one of the dark mages noticed, and aimed a finely-carved wand at Hawk. It must have been an extremely merciless group to not even spare such a young child. A ball of blue flames gathered at the tip of the wand, and then erupted, shooting straight at Hawk. The boy closed his eyes…

…and remained that way, never feeling the pain he was expecting to feel.

Hawk's eyes opened to see his father standing in front of him. His sacred Fairfrozen was plunged deep into the dark mage's heart, quickly pulled out with a sickly sucking sound. The mage fell.

Just as Hawk was about to cheer for him, his dad turned around. What Hawk saw knocked the breath out of him. A round scorch mark could be clearly seen, carving _into_ his father's stomach. His father fell, too.

"Dad! Dad!"

Dad was dead. But Hawk would not accept it. His father, the great Artemis Sorrow, Dark Knight of experience level 150, dead, by an arrogant pawn of darkness. It was not possible.

Hawk was too busy wallowing in his sorrow that he never noticed the other dark mages striding to the table. When he finally looked up, a few mages was conjuring fireballs. But Hawk could not care any more. He could not.

Luckily for him, some Beracrossians, members of a guild dedicated to stomping out necromancers in Bera, had arrived, a team of professional-looking Hermits, Bishops, Snipers and Knights. They seemed to take orders from a Night Lord standing in the middle of the team. Amazingly, he was only around 16. Hawk could see a brass name tag on his uniform:

_Gordon Michaels_

_Captain_

_SwiftStrike _

_Whoa_, Hawk thought to himself. _A Captain…_

The team quickly decimated the necromancers, leading Hawk off. Hawk was, understandably, in an extremely shocked state. His father died and a Beracrossian Captain came to rescue him. Too many things were happening at once. But one thing was certain. No matter the cost, he was to bring Dad back.

And a plan was already forming in his mind…

_

* * *

_

Ten years later

A White Knight walked on, the climate of El Nath not affecting him a single bit. Probably because he was constantly casting a Fire Charge around him, heating up the air. No more frostbite.

The White Knight stopped dead in his tracks, looking at a mere Novice attempting an all-out strike on a Jr. Pepe. The Knight quickly interrupted with a Charge Blow, knocking the poor Pepe a few meters away.

"It's dangerous to train yourself around here, dude." The White Knight muttered. "You could have got yourself killed. Why are you here?"

The Novice didn't answer, instead bracing himself for another attack at a monster.

The White Knight grabbed him by the collar, throwing him against a convenient wall. He proceeded to drag the Novice into the town, feed him a few health potions, and questioned him again.

"What the hell were you doing? You could have got yourself killed!"

"I just need to train. And you stopped me. Let me gain a level or two! Just let go!" The Novice screamed at the Knight, attempting quite unsuccessfully to pull himself away from the third-jobber, as people liked to call those in their third advancement.

"No chance. At your age, you should know what's good for you. If you wanted to train, you could have requested a one-time ticket to Maple Island. The creatures there are easier to deal with."

The Novice's face fell. "I know. I just wanted to be near my home, to remember what I train for."

"What you train for?"

The Novice started looking at his fingernails. "Have you ever heard of the story of Father Time?"

It was the White Knight's turn for his face to fall, but he quickly regained composure, even before losing a hint of it.

"Yes, I have. It is quite a famous legend."

"I just wanted to use the Dragon's power. If he could control time, he could surely bring my father back." The Novice mumbled. "Dad died protecting me from a lycanthrope. He shouldn't have."

The White Knight frowned. "Time should never be tampered with. You don't know the damage that can do."

"If it can bring Dad back, I don't mind any price!" The Novice shouted, with a determination that is hard to come across among those of his age.

"Very well then. But at least listen to one who had committed that mistake." The White Knight sighed. "Give me a minute or two. I will tell why not to mess around with time."

* * *

"You probably have heard of the massacre of the Arcanusians, those from the fallen village of Arcanus. No one was left alive when the famed Beracross finally sent a crack team of troopers over. Burnt bodies everywhere. Everyone knew who did this. No one could stop them.'

'It could have been avoided. But my folly killed Arcanus.'

'Same as you, my father was killed. The necromancers took him. But immediately after that, the Beracrossians arrived and destroyed them. And that would have been the end of it, just one casualty, had I not insisted on bringing my father back.'

'I trained. I trained as no other person on Bera has and will train. I even tried out necromancy; I had the ability to ignore side effects of Darkness, which is quite uncommon among my people.'

'Soon, I grew powerful enough to tackle Zakum, or so I thought. With the power of Darkness behind me, nothing could go wrong.'

'I joined some adventurers, forming a full party of six to combat Zakum. We trekked through the icy cold of El Nath and the sweltering heat of the lava dungeons. As expected, we were allowed through. We were all above the requirements of experience level 50, after all.'

'By the time we reached the final dungeon, all of us were sweating profusely, most were bleeding, and one had been lost to the lava. After a quick rest, our expedition leader planted the seed.'

'The great Zakum sprouted from the altar, a stone giant with eight crushing hands. Various techniques were used and spells casted throughout the battle. Our Shadower was struck by the animate statue's spells, too late for our Bishop to save.'

'Throughout the entire ordeal, I never suffered a single blow from Zakum. Our Dark Knight was dutifully taking all the blows, and quickly being healed by the Bishop. It was then that I saw my chance.'

'The Dark Knight was dying, another strike would kill him. The next target would be me. I had to act fast.'

'I grabbed the Bishop, sapping his mana through a Dark technique I had learnt to provide enough mana for the most powerful Dark and Light hybrid spell I had ever known. Armageddon. The same used to destroy Arcanus.'

'The spell destroyed the great giant in a single blow, taking some of the altar as well. Some walls in the cavern had collapsed, a stalactite or two fell. The entire party was killed.'

'I then did the Dragon's Dance. I found out details of the ritual through research on some occult matters; I will never reveal it though. Enough for one to commit a single mistake.'

'i had never expected what was to come. True to the legend's words, a dragon, scales glittering with a magnificent sky blue, spawned from what was left of the altar. A deep voice boomed. I have forgotten the words, but I remember what it granted me. A chance to change history. A chance to save my father.'

'I took the chance, travelling back through time to the day my village was assaulted. I was ready for the blow. This time, I pulled my father away, letting the fireball strike a dark mage behind.'

'This was to have a lot more serious repercussions than I thought. The dark mage, knowing that he was to die soon, was eager to complete his purpose. He grabbed another necromancer, sapping his mana, and released an Armageddon hybrid spell.'

'The spell destroyed the entire village, including the crack team of Beracrossians. I survived by jumping into the small circle around the caster not affected by the spell, stabbing the necromancer on the way.'

'By then, it was too late. They were dead. All dead. And it was because I messed up time and tried to save my father.'

* * *

"So, that's my story." The White Knight sighed. "I hope you realize the damage changing time can do."

The Novice nodded. "I will remember, sir."

Good." The White Knight stood up and turned around.

The Novice then noticed his brass tag.

_Hawk Sorrow_

_Honorary Corporal_

_Arcanesword_

* * *

Hawk was in El Nath once again for a purpose.

All little children who had been told the legend would have been told that history could only be changed once for each person. Truth was that there were _two_ chances. The Dragon _was_ forgiving. Hawk found this out during some research he was doing on the legend.

Hawk walked past the lycanthropes, strode through the hordes of undead miners. Those puny monsters did not bother him anymore.

He went deeper, into the dungeons of lava, into the fabled altar.

This was his second chance. Now or never.

Hawk threw the seed right smack in the middle of the altar, watching it get absorbed into the ancient stone.

A small tree of rocks sprouted from the altar, turning into a giant of eight arms.

Zakum.

Hawk was not unduly worried. He had beaten the live statue before, he could do it again.

Hawk braced himself for Zakum's strike, dodging to one side while he slashed at the arm that reached out. One arm down, seven to go.

He then ducked and rolled to his left, letting an arm embed itself into the ground Hawk originally stood on. He used a single strike and reduced the arm to mere rubble.

Using similar tactics, Hawk destroyed all eight arms of the giant. Now for the head itself.

Hawk used his sword to fling himself onto the stone giant, and dealt blow after blow on the head. Noticing a slight shimmer, he threw himself down just as a flash of lighting made its way onto the spot Hawk used to be, now merely air.

Hawk turned back, swinging his blade, which connected with Zakum. Painfully.

He started chanting, before placing a palm on the giant. A palm-shaped hole could clearly be seen when Hawk removed his hand from Zakum.

"Senium Virus!"

A grayish-green substance flowed out of the hole, dissolving anything it passed. The giant of Zakum seemed to have frozen, but then again it didn't have any arms left to move.

Quickly, Hawk did the ancient Dragon's Dance. The details of the ritual shall never be disclosed; no one has to commit the same mistakes.

As Zakum dissolved away, the familiar blue Dragon appeared in front of Hawk, and the same deep voice resounded throughout the room.

"_Make your wish, mortal."_

Hawk remembered rolling his eyes the first time he had heard this. Mere mortals could never defeat Zakum so comprehensively.

"Transport me to twelve years previous, great Dragon."

* * *

Immediately after that, the world went black.

Suddenly, a bright light shone, blinding Hawk for a moment. A tunnel seemed to form around Hawk, images of his young life flashing past. An image of a young boy playing with his father around the marketplace of Henesys zoomed out, and suddenly Hawk was viewing life through the eyes of the boy.

The boy, of course, was young Hawk.

Now he would change the future. Now or never.

He held his sword with shaking hands. He wished his father wasn't around. It would have made things easier.

Walking forward, Hawk pretended to stumble on a block on the grounds of the marketplace. Quick as lightning, he threw his sword in front of him, letting the sword _pierce his own heart._

This, he knew, was the only way left. If he never existed, his father would not have anyone to protect, therefore he could protect himself and maybe help the Beracrossians.

Anyway, even if what he was doing changed the future for worse, he could not be held liable anymore. This brought tremendous calm to him. _No more worries. Just a few more seconds to live._

His father was shouting now, running towards him. Hawk wished his father had never been around when he executed this plan. The sight of his son dying would sadden him for years.

As Hawk felt life seep out of him, he smiled, for once in many years.

Hawk was finally righting the wrong he had done.

With that thought, the White Knight's eyes closed.

* * *

Okay, forgive me if I messed this up. Just trying to write something that isn't all action.

And yes, the moral of not messing up with time has been used countless times, but who cares, it's a nice theme.


End file.
